Party People

Kind Minds

Mayor Sylvestor Turner
Mayor Sylvestor Turner

Ten Houstonians were honored for their selfless and generous ways of life at an event held at the Royal Sonesta. Mayor Sylvester Turner offered opening remarks before recipients of the Houston Humanitarian Awards — including NFL mom and philanthropist Karen Johnson, pastor Fernando Ruata, music-industry honcho James Prince, and several Hurricane Harvey heroes — received a standing ovation. The evening was put on by a local nonprofit called Houston Random Act of Kindness Day, which was founded by Treveia Dennis in order to spread love throughout her community.

Party People
party people

Cheech Marin and Other Legends Toast Rothko Chapel and the Power of Art at Lively 'Inspirit' Fundraiser

David Ansell, Bennie Flores Ansell, Thuy Tran and James Tiebout

THE ROTHKO CHAPEL held its Inspirit fundraiser — a celebration of the power of art and activism — at the industrial-chic Astorian. The evening featured cocktails, hors d’oeuvres, and an onstage conversation with actor Cheech Marin, one of the world’s foremost collectors of Chicano art; 2023 Art League of Houston Texas Artist of the Year Vincent Valdez; and legendary civil rights advocate Dolores Huerta, who co-founded the United Farm Workers of America with César Chávez. (She’s 93, by the way!)

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Art + Entertainment
film

Chicano Activist and Actor Cheech Marin Finds Himself at Home in Houston

Cheech Marin reflecting outside of The Cheech (photo by David Fouts)

WHEN YOU TALK to Los Angeles-born actor Cheech Marin, regardless of how serious the subject, you can’t help but smile. His pop-culture presence is infused with an astute awareness of politics and history, and a “can do, make do, find a way to move ahead” spirit he connects to the word “Chicano,” a derogatory term that came to signify resilience, creative thinking, and social consciousness. “My dad, who died at age 93, always described himself as a Chicano, because it described him,” says Marin.

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Art + Entertainment